Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are split by a single point in the Premier League table ahead of another weekend, but which team is most likely to win the crown in May?
Arsenal regained top spot in the Premier League after a 3-0 win at Brighton on Saturday after Manchester City beat Crystal Palace to keep up speed with the Gunners, but Liverpool dropped two points after a 2-2 draw at Manchester United.
The title race shows signs of going full speed ahead on the final day of the season, Sunday, May 19.
Paul Merson described the race as “the all-time race for the Premier League name”, while statistics reveal it is also the closest in history – never before has a point or less been split between first and third after 31 games.
So, how is the luck of the teams with 8 remaining?
Reasons to Be Confident
Arsenal, at the top of the table, still seem to be considered the most unlikely of the three contenders, but the most productive defence wins titles and the Gunners have them this season. His expected goals vis-à-vis the general are unparalleled, reflecting his ability to suppress opportunities.
Arsenal have been unable to find a striker who fits their defensive prowess in the early months of the season, but that is changing. He has scored 38 goals in his last 11 league games. The floodgates opened.
Bukayo Saka has spearheaded the Gunners’ attack, while innovations can also be noted in Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz.
Declan Rice’s impact has been immense in midfield and the team looks hungrier and mentally more potent than last season.
Reasons to be cautious
Last season’s capitulation weighs heavily on them. Having given up such a healthy lead over Manchester City, when they felt they would never have a better chance, they now have a lot to offer in terms of resilience. These players do not have the same trophy point as their opponents.
Despite all of Arsenal’s recent attacking improvements, there are also questions when it comes to the No. 9 position. Gabriel Jesus provides them with a lot of things, but he is not a prolific goalscorer. Could it be the absence of this remarkable striker with a deadly shot?”Do they still charge you dearly?”
LIVERPOOL
Reasons to Be Confident
Liverpool’s title run has been boosted by their attacking power, bolstered by Mohamed Salah’s return to the starting line-up and his goal in a 2-1 win over Brighton earlier this month after missing much of the league this year due to injuries and representation. . Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
There’s also encouragement at the other end of the pitch, where Virgil van Dijk has once again done the best he can, Caoimhin Kelleher continues to prove to be a competent replacement for the injured Alisson and even teenagers Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns and James. McConnell is contributing impressively.
Could the announcement of Jurgen Klopp’s departure at the end of the season increase his chances even further?Certainly, the excitement reinforced the atmosphere at Anfield.
Reasons to be careful
Klopp has done wonders with Liverpool’s midfield, restructuring it from the ground up following the departures of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner and Naby Keita last summer, but they are still missing a No. 6 to compete with Rodri or Declan Rice.
A number of key injured players are expected to return, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson and Diogo Jota, but, despite Van Dijk’s clever form, doubts remain in defence, with Joel Matip ruled out for the remainder of the season.
They have conceded just 30 goals, the second-lowest figure after Arsenal, but is the current pace sustainable?The underlying figures show that they give their warring sides a much bigger chance than City and Arsenal, with 36. 52 expected goals compared to (xGa) abandoned so far, at 21. 62 for Arsenal and 30. 31 for City.
CITY MAN
Reasons to Be Confident
How much time do you have? Even after drawing at Anfield and facing Arsenal, Manchester City feel on the move: they are unbeaten since December 6.
Guardiola’s players know exactly what it takes to cross the finish line as they aim for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title. They have recovered from worse conditions than they were in last season.
Their strength in intensity is unrivaled, allowing them to continue even with the caliber of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland in the previous season. Guardiola described Phil Foden and Rodri as his “players of the season”.
Now that De Bruyne and Haaland are back and the injury list is clear, they will remain confident of doing whatever they want to clinch the record-breaking title.
Reasons to be cautious
The main one is the fact that no team has won 4 league titles in a row. In the midst of Liverpool and Arsenal’s tough festival, and still struggling with 3 festivals, will they be able to reach the required point for the fourth consecutive season?There is an explanation why this hasn’t been done before.
The other glimmer of hope for their opponents is that they look more vulnerable defensively than in past seasons. Having scored 31 goals in 31 games, they are conceding close to their percentage under Guardiola, almost a point from the 2016/17 campaign, when they finished. third.
Adam Smith, data editor at Sky Sports:
The top three have been battling since Christmas after Spurs and Aston Villa dropped out of the top three.
If things end on points, Arsenal ultimately lead the war on goal difference with 51, followed by Liverpool (42) and Manchester City (40).
In terms of form, Liverpool have been the most consistent: they have never dropped points in more than two consecutive Premier League games.
City drew three in a row since mid-November before losing 1-0 to Aston Villa. However, Guardiola’s team is now unbeaten since December 6 and must end the crusade in the same dominant way as always.
Arsenal suffered a slump during the festive period, losing 3 games out of five, bounced back to near-perfect levels with 10 wins and a draw in their last 11 games, with an aggregate score of 38-4.
The chart below shows the team’s upcoming matches in the Premier League, but which team has the simplest schedule?
Colors constitute the opponent’s difficulty, based on the existing position in the league.
Arsenal’s average opponent sits at 8. 9 in the table, which is more complicated than Liverpool’s (9. 9), while Manchester City (11. 4) have a particularly less complicated entrance on paper.
So what’s the verdict? Well, Arsenal have the toughest league schedule on paper, but can their momentum simply get them all the way to the finish line?
Still not sure which team will be the Premier League champions when the curtain closes on May 19?You can use the interactive table below to see how rivals rank across all key metrics this season to help you decide. . .
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